HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1899-3-3, Page 22 TnE BRUSSELS POST. MAR II3, 1899
Diamond Cut Diamond
OR,
TIDE ROUT OF TIE ENEMY,
And than she turned and left him ohild's play compared to the deadly
swiftly, without another word, and animosity with with Trousers regards
the women went away out of the the whole of the female sex. Every
desolate house, away down the lane petticoat in his eyes the nucleus of
again together. Neither of them no- possible mischief. The landlady, whom
tieeil bow, close under the shelter of he grudgingly suffers to live only be -
a dark elm tree in the hedge apposite, cause he conceives that, in some Seah-
a man stood motionless watching them tan beyond his powers of comprehen-
mune out of the door in the high skin, she is of use to his master,
wall, just as he had watched them go comes in fox' nothing better, even to -
into it half -an -hour ago ; and neither wards the dinner -hour, than suppress
of them, in the soft sighing of the sed growls; the timid little servant -
summer night breezes, and in the maid lives in terror of her life by
murmur of their own voices and the reason of him; the laundress leaves
beating of their hearts, heard how the Miles' linen tremblingly at the street
stealthy footsteps crept catlike in door and takes to her heels and flies
the shadow behind them. at the distant thunder of his voice;
Rose, now that all was over, trem- whilst as to the occasional charwoman,
bled in every limb, Martine murmur- a double fee is necessary to induce
ed broken words of affection and con - 'her to venture with her bucket and
solation to the mistress whom she her brooms into the chamber, where
Ioved. "that there wild beast" is to be met
"You should give him money and with. There were no distinctions in
get rid of him; let him go away to this sweeping condemnation. If
America, as be wanted long ago," she Trousers had his way every woman on
said. the face of the earth would be ex -
She shook her head. It is impossible. terminated. In short, with the un -
I should not dare to set him free,, he complimentary poet of a bygone gen-
would disgrace us again." oration, Trousers might have ex-
"Not under another name?" claimed
"No man with that face, scarred "What mighty ills have not been
and seamed as it is, could escape de- done by womanl
tection by so poor a strategy. Oh, Destructive, damnable, deceitful wo-
believe me, Martine, I have thought of man I"
everything—everything —have thought Now this is why Trousers sits re -
till my bead was on fire, and my garding his master on this particular
heart sick with thinking, and there is Saturday afternoon, slowly and disap-
nothing else to be done, no other provingly licking his chops, whilst e
plan." And then a long, shivering puzzled enquiry in his eyes, and a
sigh broke from her pale lips. "Here quiver of uneasiness that vibrates
—there I—on one side of the world or through his whole body denotes his
on the other I it makes no difference; evident disquietude of mind.
nothing can sat me free of him. Al- What, asks Trousers of himself, do
most, my dear Martine, I envy those these strange and abnormal proceed -
women of another faith than our own, ings portend? Why these curious and
who are able to profit by the laws of unaaeustomed preparations? What
this country, and free themselves convulsion is to rend the peaceful and
from a marriage yoke when It be- happy habits of the usual Saturday
comes insupportable." half -holiday? For Saturday Is to
Ah, my dear lady. It is Heaven, Trousers the day of all other days,
not man, who will set you free 1 It Saturday is the day when Miles comes
is impossible that this miserable one home early from the City to his lodge
San hve forever."I ings in Hammersmith, changes his
"Hush, Martine 1" she answered clothes to a tweed suit of dittoes
quickly, "do not put into words the amidst frantic boundings of oanine joy
wickedness oe my heart; that is what which keep pace with his toilet oper-
1 daily struggle against. Why should ations, and then pot hat on head and
Leon de Brefour die, since he has not thick stick in hand, he sallies forth
lived long enough for repentance? for a long walk. Trousers following
Every day Monsieur prays that bis meekly at his master's heels so long
son's life may be spared until be has as they are 'in the streets, but when
repented and is pardoned, and everyonce in rural roads and lanes, rushing
day, I, too, with my lips, say Amen off with wild barkinge and happy cap -
to that prayer, though Heaven knows • ers in a very madness of delight and
bow my sinful soul rebels against the eestacy; or sometimes the programme
desire." is varied, and Miles gets himself into
"Ah, such goodness is too much for I flannels and they go down to the
me, Madame I" cried Martine, impati- river side and charter a boat. And
ently. "When I sae you suffer so that is also very delightful to Trou-
much, when I know how you have : sers. He sits erect and immoveable in
sent away ee beau jeune homme who,the stern as his master pulls up
loves you, I feel no compunctions in stream, possessing his soul in patience
desiring that the Almighty will take ' until, according to a time-honored eus-
that other wicked one away, to finish; tom, he shall pull up his craft under
his repentance in a world where they certain brown oozy banks and sedgy
understand these things better than 1 corners, well known to both master
here on this earth." I and dog, that are redolent ot water -
Madame de Brefuur nae raised her , rata, and riddled by their holes. Here
hand to silence the old woman, but ' Trousers is allowed to flounder out in
Martine was a person who would have search of sport. He always sets out
her say, and even the allusion to the with the same keen excitement. He
"beau jeune homme" was allowed to has never yet captured a water -rat,
pass unreprimanded, although it made but he brings with him aver to the
Rose smile in spite of her sadness. chase the same burning hopes and the
And they walked along fast in the same sanguine assurance of success,
darkness of the lane, but not ao fast and he is made as happy and as proud
but that the an who followed them ,as a king if he do but catch eight of
kept with them until they reached the a vanishing tail or sound of a disap-
station; but here the brigbt lights I peering splash.
made him shrink away into the sha-i But on this Saturday afternoon no
dow. and hide himself until the train such joys either of land or water seem
came up, se that they got into a' to be forthcoming.
front carriage, and their watcber in- I Miles comes home exceptionally early
to one at the back of the train, And and in a cab, bringing upstairs with
when they got to Euston, there was him a small wooden box, which he pro -
a or:,wd upon the platform, and a con- coeds to unpack upon the floor with
fasten of porters and Iuggage, so extreme care. There is hay in the box
that he lost sight of the two women and 'Trousers sniffs about it with
he had ao patiently followed, and saw sharpened wits, but no odour of crea-
them no more.
CHAPTER XVII.
Upon a hard -seated wooden arm-
ada., Trousers sat licking his lips. stun piblue and teacups
and saucers of a
Trousers requires a whole paragraph Y g with su-
I had nearly said a whole chapter, to gat' and slop bowl and cream jug to -
himself, in order that his many vire match. Miles sets eaiem on the table,
tuea and peculiarities may be acme- tie mach carefully out with a duster,
ately set forth, Trousers is, to begin and then turns the packing -ease and
\vi'ts, an animal, concerning whose
its hey out on the landing. What do
breed and parentage there exists the these gew-gews forebode? Was not
profoundest uncertainty. Consider him the ugly old green and wh to breakfast
by his bead, and you might fairly Sup and the odd white saucer enough
take him to be a fox -terrier, did not for them both? thinks Trousers rueful -
his ears, in defiance of all aural and ly! Then Miles shouts down the stairs:
"Have the cakes come, Mrs. Lane?"
"Yes, sir."
"And the butter and cream?"
"Not yet, sir, but it's sure to be here
mind would dwell on the lurcher, or in time," is the answer.
Bedlington terriers of your acquaint- Cakes, butter, cream! Trousers licks
once. But if, on the rather band, you his chops, as what dog of intelligence
regard him from the point of view of would not? at the bare sound 0f the
a tail that is long, smooth, black and words' but he is well aware of the foot
tapering, visions of Dachshund maraca that such dainties, sweet-sounding ns
tion might float before your eyes, a they are in his ears, cannot be about
theory, however, that is knocked ut- to be set forth solely for his own edi-
terly to the ground by a further con- Ifioation.
temptation of his legs, which are very Then all at once the murder in all
long, and decidedly oe the greyhound its dire atrouily is out.
type. Take him all in all, then, Trot- I 'You can get it all set out ready,
sera belongs distinctly to no class, lout Mrs. Lane," malls out Miles, "but you
Iti
has the destinations of many, s had better wait to make the tea till
outer dog, however, forms but a the ladies arrive."
small portion of his nature. It is I So that is it! Miles Faulkner is go -
upon his character that 1 chiefly de-ingto have a teaparty in his room for
sire to dwell. ladies!
Alaal what a catastarophe! No wonder
The virtues of Trousers' disposition I
are absolutely without number. He that 7.rouser's cyto follow hie master's
has the fidelity of the fax terrier, the
movements with an utter misery of re-
has
proclivities of the lurcher,
p1'oacn in them that have at last the
the speed of the greyhound, the dig- affect of making him feel uncomfor-
nifiad self-respect of the Dacha—every- taSiels not nice
thing, in short, is in him combined. In ce to be disapproved of
his tastes, too, he is a creature of by a friend who is accustomed to adore
sensitive discriminations. Ilia lead- one, scan if that friend is only a dog.
Ing passions are, an all-absorbing"Poorold Bags, what is it, old boyl"
adoration for his master, and an he says soothingly; giving his favourite
equally absorbing hatred for street n pealing pat, Trousers ahufflea his!
bays—thio latter is no doubt born of little fore paws up and down and rape
his tali a ggat
est the wooden seat of his
bitter memories cone0rning those ring
ed scar's by which his hind legs aro chair, but he le dimly aware, no doubt,
still decorated. 'Upon these fuada- that these propitiatory caresses, this
mental mainsprings of his being ars use of hie most private nacre, are only
grafted other and lesser loves and intended to prepare him for the worst,
hates. Ile loves those that love Miles The worst is soon, too soon, upon
Faulkner, and scents out with an un- him. There comes a carriage dashing
erring exactitude those that are amt up to the .door, a loud rat -tatting at
friendly to him. his dislikes, indeed, the door, a subdued confusion of chat -
are more pronounced than his affea- tering voices and rustling skirts up the
tions. Duna are his detestation; all narrow staircase, and then enter Mrs.
tradesmen in tact, as the possible, bear- Lane, all smiles, ushering in threw
ers of bills, tame in for a share of ladies into Miles Faulkner's tiny sit -
his disapprobation, and a certain poor ting room.
cousin, who as in the frequent habit 1 Trousers gives utterauao to one tr-
ot borrowing money from Miles, is an repressible howl of anguish, then, at a
object of his most angry vitupera- threat of hie maeter'e hand, tucks his
tion. ,ti this, however, is but ae tail well between his kgs, lays his ears
ture, dead or alive, greets his little
distended nostrils, and his excitement
flies away into dismay as be watches
his master slowly remove from their
canine laws, stand erect in the air
like the 'handles of a water jug.
Again, taken by his body, which is
broken -haired and brownish, your
bank upon his head, and waffles away
nimbly Wu the very farthest euruer
of the room, here, underneath the
shelter of a table with a long eloth,
be turns and site at bay• Ile does not
dare to give so much as a growl, but
his upper lip keeps rising eiuiverlagly
over his little slurp; teeth, and a sort
of smootltered moan, like that of a
Drying oliiid, ie breathed forth at iu-
tecvals, like a sigh, from out of the
very depths of his injured being.
Olal that he should have lived to see
this dayl
The ladies meanwhile, Mrs. Dane and
Lha Halliday sisters, are making the
tour of ilauiknor'e apartment. It is
extraordinary what a never -failing de -
and interest the examination of a
man's room pauses to women. There
is nothing that gives them so much
pleasure as to be asked to tea by a
bachelor. They will leave their own
luxurious drawing' -roams, their satin
couches and arm -chairs, their velvet -
pito carpets and all the flower-scented
atmosphere which surrounds them at
home, with eagerness and alacrity, if
they man only get a thane of going
out to tea with a young man, however
simply he may live, or bowever poor
and moan may be his abode, It af-
fords them a chance, no doubt, of ex-
amining that most interesting animal,
Man, at large tar his own diggings, of
studying the queer ways and habits of
the oreature in its free and natural
state. It is a voyage of discovery into
unknown, or only dimly guessed at
latitudes. There was nothing much to
be seen in Miles' room to be sure, cava
Miles himself, who looked so much too
large in it, and yet the ladies made
the most minute tour of inspection in-
to every corner of it. The two at three
sporting prints upon the walls, the
photographs mainly of his mother and
of prize fighters, and champion rowers
and swimmers, the pipe -rack above his
mantelshelf, the few well-worn books
—"Sponge's Sporting Tour," "Pick-
wick," two odd volumes on Natural
History, together with sundry strange-
ly illustrated treatises on athletic
sports, and their uses, and methods of
training, which lay in a confused heap
upon a side table—all came in for a
share of their careful attention and
scrutiny.
"What is this for?" Cries one.
"IVbo is this dreadful man in strip-
es?"
"Ohl look at this odd little bast"
"Is this meant for tobacco, Mr. Faul-
kner?"
There teas no end to their questions
and to their curiosity. They pulled
his fishing -rods out oe their cases and
tried on his boxing -gloves, and struck
attitudes with his fencing -sticks and
really seemed to enjoy, it all amazing-
ly.
"And now, Mr. Faulkner, you must
just let us have one peep into your
bedroom," said Mrs. Dane, and, blush-
ing like a maiden, Miles opened the
door of communication that led into
his extremely simple little sleeping -
chamber.
Mrs. Dane walked boldly in, asking
questions concerning the due airing of
his sheets and the mending of his lin-
en, such as the mind of an elderly lady
naturally runs upon in connection with
a poor helpless young man, who has
nobo'ly but a landlady to "do for him;'
but the girls were shy, and stood at
the doorway, content only with a fur-
tive glance into ibis Holy of Holies.
Then said Miles td Dulole, red as a
peony all over his big fair feu:
"iVon't you just go in?" It stem -
ed to him that he would Bleep better
that night if her sweet presence might
but for one instant glorify that poor
little chamber.
Very timidly Dulcie made one step
into the .tiny room. Upon the bed,
which took up two-thixds of the space,
was a rather noticeable quilt of ela-
borate silk and wool crochet work.
Dulcie's hand fell softly upon the
fringe of it,
"Oh/ what a lovely quilt!" she cried.
"It Is my mother's work," answered
Miles, with that emit of reverential
devotion is his lowered voice with
whioh he always alluded to that excel-
lent defunct lady. "It was the last
piece of work she did."
"11 is- beautiful," said Dulcie softly,
respecting the emotion ire his voice,
and bending a little over the bed as
she stroked the quilt admiringly —
"bow you must value 111"
But Dulate would have been vary
much surprised if she could have seen,
at a latter period of the day, a big
young man upon his knees by his bed-
side, kissing with a passionate devo-
tion the spot whereon• her soft fingers
had lain!
Well, after they had seen all that
was to be seen and admired everything
that could by any stretch of fancy be
considered worthy of admiration, rho
ladies consented to sit round the table
and begin tea. Mrs, Dane placed
herself behind the new cups, which of
course came in for a share of praise.
Miles did not mention that they had
been purchased for the occasion, al-
though Trousers no doubt very much
wished he could have let them know it,
and, at her host's request, she began
to pour out the tea; because a man is
ever shy, even in his own roam, of
meddling with a tea-pot when there is
a woman present. 'There was a tea-
cake and what Mts. Lsno called a
"shilling Madeira," and some nice thin
bread and butter, which, if the truth
bad hem told, Miles had cut himself,
not being over -confident of his heavy-
handed attendant; so that altogether,
what with the cream and the steam-
ing tea, there eves quite aliells feast
in ,the Ilaenmersmith lodging; and they
all became very merry indeed.
Mrs. Dane caught Herself listening
and looking towards the door.
"Is not Geoffrey coming?" she asked
at length, for the certainty of meeting
Geoffrey had been the only plea she
had been able to bring forward to her
lord and master, as a motive for the
expedition. jRo bad not approved of it,
buhe badg Ivan a grudging consent
upon be suggestion that his nephew
would of course, be of the party. But
Mrs. Dane had sympathies with Delete,
as well as with Angel, and a true lova
a£Cale of the old-fashioned sort — two
young hearts drawn together, irres-
pective of incomes and waysand
moans, was a situation that invariably
aroused her affectionate interest; and
believing that she had here reanted out
this Arcadian condition of things in ite
dawning stages, she was determined to
do her best to help the budding cause
sentiment; thus to favour young lovers
was now, poor lady, one of the few
amusements Of het life. Yet when
Geoffrey slid not appear, she began to
feel uneasy, What would her husband
say to her, if he did not conic?
"Did you not invite Geoffrey, too?"
she asked,
I certainly invited him," answered
Miles, "He was coming, I understood'
he will, n0 doubt, be here presently,"
To be Continued.
THE COTTON INDUSTRY IN INDIA.
Its Growth 11,111 ❑w Inq,ortnnee to Neva.
ti Mtn In or its Present l/evelothneni.
The history of the growth of the
cotton industry in India is a very in-
teresting one, and, in view of the com-
petition with whioh its development
threatens the importation of Lan-
cashire cotton manufactures, it may be
of political importance. At present
cotton yarns and cotton threads Dom-
ing into India from abroad are exempt
from duty, and that on other cotton
goods is 81-2 per cent. As most of the
cotton imports of India are from Eng-
land, this arrangement of the duties
was almost entirely to the advantage
of Lancashire.
Colton manufacturing by modern
machinery was first begun in India in
1851, at Bombay, and by 1877, there
were forty-seven mills in all India. At
the beginning of 1898 there were 154
mills, distributed according to presi-
dencies and districts as follows: Ben-
gal, 9; Madras, 10; Bombay, 106; Pun-
jab, 18; central provinces, 14, and
French India, 2.
But this number does not appear to
suffice for the Indian demand and the
export trade, chiefly to China and
East and South Africa, for there are
actually under construction
NINE NEW MILLS'
at Bombay, eleven at Ahmedabad, and
one at each of seven other places.
Others are in contemplation, of which
seven are to,be built in Bombay, six at
Ahmedabad, two at Pondicherry, two
at Madura and one at each of four
other places. At this moment there
are mills in Ahmedabad, Nagpur and
Bombay spinning forty, sixty and even
eighty degrees yarns from Ifgyptian
cotton and weaving fancy fabrics that
it is confidently anticipated will-unti-
mately deprive Lancashire of the bulk
of its trade with India. It ie estimat-
ed that India pays annually for Eng-
lish manufactured cotton pieta goods
not far from 3100,000,000, but conditions
favorable to the diminution, if not ex-
tinction of this trade have recently
come into existence. One facet in con-
nection with this is worth mentioning
as showing the spirit of enterprise
with which native Indians are under-
taking the development of the re-
sources of their own country.
.A Mr. J. N. Tata, a Bombay mill
owner, is extensively cultivating Egyp-
tian cotton on Indian soil, and has al-
ready accomplished such results that
he has thrown out the challenge that
if Lancashire should persist in assist-
ing China with British capital to com-
pete against India in the coarser quali-
ties df cotton goods India will go in-
to the market with the finer qualities
and so secure a large proportion of the
$100,000,000 she now pays In Englund.
At the same time Indian cotton
manufacturers admit that so soon as
the Japanese and Chinese cotton in-
dustries have developed beyond the
needs of their local markets, and that
the Indian mills have done the same,
outlets will have to be found for theta
goods. These they expect to find in
South Africa and the border States of
India. But they say that so long as
the Indian imports of oaten goods
continue they will be fully occupied
meeting the demands of their own mar-
ket, for the sole control of which, they
intend to strive.
The Bombay mill owners are natur-
ally very anxious to retain what has
up to now been a practical monopoly
of cotton manufacturing in their own
hands, but they have been forced to
acknowledge that there are advant-
ages in putting up mills in other parts
of India where the raw cotton is pro-
duced where they are close to their
markets and
LABOR CHEAP.
That there are advantages in erecting
mills in other parts of the country,
and very solid ones, is shown by the
fact that Madras 'United Mill paid el
per cent, last year, and that the mills
at Nagpur in the central province
made 3117,000 clear profit for the
year ending July, 1898. The opinion
of the most competent men in the
cotton industry in India is that there
is room for scores more mills yet in
the country, which, if properly and
honestly managed, are certain to pay
20 per Dent.
The average number of spindles in
Indian mills is from 15,000 to 20,000,
whieh is small in comparison with the
number in the newer mills in England,
whioh are equipped with 100,000 spin-
dles and Some will double the number,
This difference in capacity has, of
cloacae, to be considered in comparing
the number of mills in India with those
in liinglend. But Um most remarkable
thing about the matter is the Bpirit
which native Indians of wealtb and
education are beginning to display 10
connection with the development of
their country. In the end they will
probably find it more profitable and
advantageous all around than giving
up their whole energies to mere poli-
tical discussion and agitation. IL is
not to be supposed that the cotton
manufacturers of England are Indit-
ferent to the competition that is grow-
ing against them in India, but tbey ap-
pear to bo deriving some consolation
from the prospect of large supplies of
hqand hp ootton
comingigh fromuality Egypt ancdeatheraw Soudan in
will enable them to hold their own in
the next few years, whioh they believe
the Eastern maxketa in the future as
in the past.
The late Rev. George Proctor, school
master, IPemnay, Scotland, has left Isis
estate, valued at over :04,000, to found
an astronomical observatory, La be
called "The rentor Equatorial, at
Xing's College, Aberdeen.
ALL ABOUT NEVA ONTARIO'
THE COUNTRY IS RICH IN FARM
LANDS, TIMBER AND MMNES.
Plenty or Mining land end Plenty of
Chalices. rut• 'Those With Aarlenit111111
Tt,stvs.
"The Newer Districts of Ontario" is
the title of a pamphlet just published
by the Ontario Uovernment. It treats
of the Ruby tower, Wubigoon, Algoma
and Temiacaminguo disLricla, and is
full of valuable information for pros-
poolive settlers. Mr, Duncan Ander-
son, of Rugby, Ont., prepared the pam-
phlet, under the instructions cf the
Minister of Agriculture. Mr. Ander-
son started out on May 16th, and was
away uolil July 23rd. In this time ho
travelled 0,150 miles by rail, 5'25 by
boat, 915 miles on foot, and 110 miles
driving.
In the Port Arthur section Mr.
Anderson found good crops of hay,
barley, oats, spring wheat, potatoes,
turnips, and vegetables. It is well
watered, and there is a fair growth
of poplar, spruce, jack pine, white
birch, cedar and tamarack. The mar-
kets at Fort William and Port
Arthur are good, and the prices paid
are high.
THE WABIC00N DISTRICT.
The advantages of the Wabigoon dis-
trict are summed up as follows: -1.
Cheap land and easily cleared, fifty
cents per acre on easy terms. 2. The
main line of the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way passes right through the agricul-
tural belt. 8. The best of local mar-
kets. 4, Sufficient timber for build-
ing, fencing and fuel. 5. The country
is well watered with rivers, creeks
and wells. 8. The soil and climate are
particularly well adapted to the grow-
ing of fall and spring wheat, barley,
oats, potatoes, turnips, and all kinds
of vegetables and small fruits. Corn
and standard apples don't seem to do
so well, unless it be the vary hardest
varieties. 7. Grasses grow in great
luxuriance. 8. A very healthy clim-
ate. 9. Good roads for a now country,
10. Plenty of winter work in the
lumber camps; also hauling and chop-
ping cordwood.
RAT PORTAGE DISTRICT.
Tha Rat Portage district bad much
Mining land, and also farm land. The
conclusions reaehed regarding the Rat
Portage district are given as below:
1. That there are schools and churches
in almost every part of the Beetled sec-
tions. 2. That plenty of employment
can be had at any season of the year
in the lumber camps; on the roads, and
at the mines; and that wages are good,
8. The flies are bad. on stook for a
mouth and a half in mid -rammer, re-
quiring the cattle to be put in the
stable during the day time. 4, The
winters are bright and clear. 5. As
a stock and dairy country it cannot be
surpassed. 6. Local markets axe good
and likely to continue, as it is closely
adjacent to the mining regions. 7.
That one oan have an easily cleared
farm by locating on the burned land, 1
or if a timbered lot be chosen, the set-
tler will have plenty of profitable win.
ter work at his own home as long as•
the timber •lasts. 8. Good natural
drainage, and splendid spring and well
water. 9. The perserverance and in -1
duatry will bring Its reward in a good'
comfortable farm home, and a work-
in gratin with limited means whowants
a home oan get it here.
ABOUT SAULT STE, MAB.IE.
In the Ste. Marie section there is
some good agriauleural land. There are
still 4,1100 acres not taken up on St.
Joseph's Island. On the island farms
can be bought from 3150 to 31,000, as
cording to the soil and improvements.
About Goulds Bay the country is some-
what broken and the land is general-
ly in the valleys hammed in by rocky
ridges. The best soil is a sandy loam,
which, when intelligently cultivated,
gives very profitable results. Two-
thirds of the timber on the uplands
is hard sugar maple, iron wood, and
bleak and yellow birch. The low lands
have, in addition to maple and birth,
balsam, spruce and a few tamarac. The
maple land is not as difficult to clear,
as the timber is mora easily burned.
The cost of clearing would be from 312
to 31.5 an acre. Wheat does well, and.
so do oats, potatoes, turnips and
fruit.
MILLION AND A QUARTER ACRES.
Tho area of agricultural land
in the district of .Cemiscamingue is
estimated at about 1,260,000 acres,
The soil ie very uniform, and consists
of a strong rich clay. The timber,
chiefly balsam and spruce, is so thick
and unbroken that the sun and wind
cannot penetrate it. This land will
stand any amount of cropping, and
intelligently farmed will give very
profitable returns. The surface of the
land is smooth with few cradle holes,
Upon the river Blanche, mercers large
tracts of level clay land, which were
burned over a few years ago end could
be brought into cultivation almost as
cheaply as prairie land, 11 is not yet
In the market, however. The timber
consists of pine, spruce, balsam, tam -
erne, cedar, poplar and a saa'1tering
of, white oak and black ash. But on
rho best farming land the timber has
vary little colm;mrrcial value, sxeeph
pine and cedar, which grow to a
large site, But the bulk of the tim-
ber is balsam and spruce, ranging from
five to fourteen inches in diameter.
Vegetables of every kind grow to per-
fection, and so do small fruits, while
all the eereaia grown in southern On-
tario, with the oxoaption of the more
tender varieties of corn, grow well.
Ilere I saw fine crops of opus, barley,
fall awe spring wheat, oath, timothy,
and clover hay, potatoes, etc. Some
fields ot hay grown ore naw latxd
amongst the stticnps would go over two
tone to the acre. the proposed James
Day railway would put this in aired
eoaneolion with Toronto. Mr. Ander-
sou says: --"1 think it would be wise
for the Government to raise the price
of land here from fifty cents to one
dollar per acre, using the added fifty
mints to give inereae„d aid to the first
efghly miles of the line."
PLI N l'X' bit FARM LAND.
In concluding, lir, Anderson says
that in Ontario there Aro at least
2,500,000 sores of good land at present
available for settlement—though to
absorb our surplus agricultural popu-
lation for many yeare. :file land is
cheap; it is easy of access; the climate
ie healthy ; money can be earned at
the lumber Damps, the mines and on
the colonization roads; 80 that the
settler and his family will be main-
, tamed in comfort during the first and
'second years until the farm produces
enough to support his family. So for
the struggling mechanic, day worker,
and all those who are putting their
labour on the market, there is a bet-
ter chance for homes is the unloonted
land of Ontario than staying in the
overcrowded industrial centres, where
Ithe cry for work is becoming yearly
more !mule, for even if Bath have but
a rudimentary knowledge of farming,
they will be able to learn from their
neighbors.
FAITHFUL ENGLISH SERVANTS.
It is probable that woman have a1 -
ways bean included among the em-
ployees of the post -office, says a writer
in Chamber s Journal. The writer can
remember when the bead of the post -
office in the great town of Sheffield
was a woman, and when there was a
"postmistress' of Gibraltar. The post
office sometimes " runs in families,"
and cases are not infrequent where
a postmaster is succeeded by his widow
or daughter, or other female relative,
For the most part, such eases would in-
dicate a desire ou the part of the au-
thorities to reward long and faithful
service or to exercise compassion to-
wards dependent relatives. Not only
aro postmistresses fairly common an
these days, but postwoman—that is,
female latter-carriers—are by no means
I1110011101011.
There recently retired from the Bris-
tol post -office a postwoman who was
born in 1825, and who must have been
delivering letters for the hest part of
oifxtaygwhsn Sshwasred nny11wos ytris
mated
that she must have walked a
quarter of a million miles during her
long service. Although she served a
very sparsely populated district, she
was never etogped nor molested in any
I way on bar round, and it is needless to
1say that she gained the respect of all
with whom she came in contact. The
Lords of her Majesty's Treasury, recog-
nizing the exceptionaloireumstanees of
this woman's service, granted her half -
pay in the shape of pension, and the
inhabitants of her native village took
the occasion of her retirement to pre-
sent' her with a handsome testimonial,
Another postwoman in the Bristol
district has just succeeded hor aunt as
sub -postmistress, the latter having
served for forty-seven years, and reach-
ed the astonishing age of ninety-five.
The niece 'had served for forty-two
years as postwoman so that she must
be well on to sixty on taking up her
new appointment. Tho post -office can-
not be an unhealthy occupation, or its
employees would not live to auoh ab-
normal ages. But there are young
postwoman as wall as old. We have seen
the portrait' of one who cannot be muck
above thirty, and who, attired in the
official overcoat and cape, with a saucy
felt hat and feather, looked uncommon-
ly smart and business -like. She is the
wearer of two good -conduct badges, and
appears to take her full round of duties
—making two rural deliveries a day,
besides meeting the trains and attend-
ing to the travelling pose -office ap-
paratus. A man mould hardly do more,
and soma men do a great deal less.
But then this woman was Scotch ,
HUMOR OF THE INSANE.
•
'rllmrc is Plenty of 11, Says tin; Saperla.
tenib fit o1' nn Asylum.
"I was silting in my office the
other day," said the superintendent of
an insane asylum, "when one of the
patients, a harmless fellow ,who is al-
lowed to have the freedom of the
building and grounds, came in, pale
with indignation, end said that he
had a complaint to make
"'What is it, your Highness,?' 1
said, for it was the Prince of Wales I
was talking to.
'Are the rules of the palace to be
observed or not he demanded. 'I
want to know whether our rules can
be broken with impunity.'
'Certainly not, your Highness,' I
said; 'what is it?'
"'I was coming down the corridor
this morning,' be said, 'anti in a rack
on the wall I saw a dozen roti pails,
marked, "lfor fire only." Now is
that right or not 1'
' 'It is, I said, 'The sign is cor-
rect.
Well, then,' he said, 'John, refer-
ring to a keeper, must be punished.
As 1. stood there he came along and
filled the pails with water.'
"'Ile shall be executed at ones,' I
said, and the Prince bowed with great
seriousness and walked out of the
room.
This incident iliustratos a trick
tvhieh few neopte know anything
about,' continued the solerintendent.
"That is, that there 1s more uncon-
scious humor about a lot of tonnes
Ilan there i,t genuine humor among
sane people. Some of the 'things that
my patients say and do are funnier
than any of the thinge 1 read or hear
from the outside world. 1 tell you,
life isn't so prosaic as you'd think in
an insane asylum."
FAITH IN YOUR. 1)0CT011,
An exchange quotes a stow said
y to
have ben told at a "charity dinner," A
man was brought into the accident
hospital who was thought to bury dead.
Isis wife was wills him. One 0f the
doctors said: "Ile is dead;" but the
man raised hie head and said: "No, I'm
not tleatl yet;" whereupon hie wife ad-
monished him by saying; ' Bc quiet;
theo for ought to know best: ,
�N4 f UNGE SRM RT.
fTBNMS OF INTEREST ABOUT THE
BUSY YANISBI:.
Neighborly interest In lila Doings—Matters
of Moment sad Girth Gathered from lib
Dully Record.
Pomona, Cal., possesses 00 varieties+
of olive trees.
Tho 1Ilglslanlors of New York are
to form a regiment.
Cornell etudents did not use wine
at their last banquet.
A fence seventy miles is length, is
being built to protect herds of cattle
in Dakota.
Nearly a million persons make their
hiving
industries. ine the United States by electric
Admiral Dewey has thanked the Bos.
ton City Council for naming a square
in that oity after him.
Alexander Graham Bell, upon his re»
turn to Washington, will build a Jape
anise garden at his residence.
Two woman are employed as track -
walkers in a section of the Centra}
Paoifio B,ailroad cast of Walls, Nev.
During the eleven months ended
with November, 546,852 parsons viaited
ington.
lha Congressional Library at Wash -
The work of constructing a huge
raft, which is to contain 4,000,000 feet
la
of ndlumbOre.
er, has been begun in Port-
,
II is said that the recant advance
in security market values has added
not less than 326,000,000 to Lha person-
al fortune of William X. Vanderbilt.
Among saleswomen in New stork
Mrs. Russell Sago is said to hear the
reputation of being the kindest and
most considerate shopper in the city,
Rev. Dr. Hiram Hutchins, though 88
years old, ie still able to take his ac-
customed
scustomed walks about the streets of
faBroomilklyn,
iwhere he has long been a
ar figure.
The Duchess of Marlborough receiv-
ed a Christmas gift of 3500,000 from
her father, 1V. K. Vanderbilt. This.
will be devoted towards the purchase of
a London residence.
Judge Felton, of Georgia Su-
premo Court, recently adjourned court
because one of the witnesses preferred,
instead of testifying, to keep an en-
gagement to be married.
Representative 13. h'• Marsh, of Il..
linois, is an expert pool player. The
other night he started in a play at
Willard's hotel, at 0.30, and did not
stop till 8.90 next morning.
Major-General Ludlow, military and
civil Governor of Havana, has for years
been considered as one of the best au-
thorities on municipal sanitation and
engineering in this country.
Having no jail at Jerome, A. T., the
pollee handcuff the arms of the prison -
ere around telegraph poles. The law-
breakers, can stand, sit or lie down,
but cannot 080140 hugging the pule.
The femme Bowery in New York
was originally the road through the
bouwerie, or farm, of Governor Stuy
vesant oe the Dutch colony of Amstar.
dam. IL was the post route to Boston.
The late Gen. Garcia, the Cuban.
was a well -rear{ man, and oven in hit
perilous campaigns managed to carre
about a few books with him, among
which was invariably a volume of
Caesar's Commentaries.
The directors 0f the Galena Public
Library have received a gift from
President MelPinley, in the shape of
a portrait of himself, which he sends
in commem;4lration of his visit to this
city on the occasion of the Grant ine-
morial celebration, April 27, 1898, on
which occasion he delivered the ad-
dress.
Speaker Reed on a recent cold night
was riding in a crowded car, the front
door of which the motorman persist -
sally kept open. Mr. Read at last call-
ed to him and asked why this was. "I
want to keep warm," was the explana-
tion. "So do the rest of us," said the
Speaker. "Suppose you shut the door."
Ile was obeyed,
Gen. Shatter owns a medal of honor
given him "for most distinguished gal-
lantry at Malvern hill, Va., August
6, 1862, while serving as first Heaton-.
ant, Company 1, Seventh Michigan In-
fantry, in command of pioneers, volun-
tarily taking active part in the battle
and although wounded, remaining on
the field until the close of the engage-
ment."
13ETTER FUEL THAN COAL.
A newly discovered mineral whioh
is of a lustrous black color and which
as a fuel surpasses coal and all other
substances heretofore known, is de-
scribed by the Journal of Geology. It
is found on the island ox Barbados, in
the Lesser Antilles, where the natives
call it "manjak." IL is thought that
manjak 1s petrified petroleum, great
quantities of petroleum being found
on the same istend. It contains only
2 per cent of water and fully '27 per
cent of solid organic matter, thus sur -
/arising in utility the best asphalt of
Trinidad, in which 80 per omit of wet-
er is coutntued, and whioh has been
classed so far as the very finest fuel.
Mixed with turd it gives heat far sup-
erior to any known.
LONG1+35T IILA'b OF HAIR,
The woman who possesses the longest
head of hair in the world is said to ba
li?,ercedes Leptis, a Mexican, Her
height is five fret, and when site
'stands erect, her hair trails on the
ground four feet eight lathes. The hair
is so thick that elle can completely hide
herself in it. She has le cut very fre-
quently, BA it grows so (Illicitly, en-
abling her to sell large tresses to hair
dealers every month. Rho 1s the wife
of e. poor sheep hardsi.